


From the Stars

by zarcake



Series: From the Stars [1]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Aliens, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Aliens, Blood and Violence, F/M, M/M, Mention of Death, Mention of torture, Spoilers, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2020-01-12 20:42:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18454268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarcake/pseuds/zarcake
Summary: Arthur is captured by Colm. During his attempt to escape, an odd friend comes to his rescue.





	From the Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I posted this on tumblr a day or so ago, and I thought I would post it here. Anyways, please enjoy!

Arthur always thought he would die in a gunfight or be hung for his crimes. Course, when he imagined his hanging, he always thought it would be by the neck and not by his feet. And he always imagined the crowd. A crowd filled with people who either hate him or people who have a morbid curiosity. He never thought he would be alone in a cold damp cellar hanging by his feet, awaiting his death. 

His body aches all over. His head is swimming from being hung upside down for so long. The side of his face aches from the beating he endured earlier that day. The bullet wound in his shoulder burns and is still bleeding. Arthur knows without proper treatment it will get infected and he will die. It even hurts him to breathe. He knows it's a combination of the cracked ribs and being hung upside down, but it also feels like there's something in his lungs. 

Despite the dire situation, there’s something primal in Arthur’s brain that refuses to let him die. He doesn’t know if there’s a word for that thing, but it is something he’s relied on in past shoot outs and brawls. And at this moment, it is driving him to do everything in his power to survive. To survive and see the rising sun. To survive and feel the chill of snow. To survive and see the setting sun. To survive and see those who depend on him. To survive. 

It’s that survival instinct that grants Arthur the strength to swing his hanging body and grab the file from the nearby table. It takes a couple of tries, but once grabs it, he wants to shout in victory. Arthur’s grip on the file is so tight he’s sure it’s cutting into his skin. But he doesn’t care, he can’t care. He’s so close to being free. He just needs to pull himself up high enough and cut the rope. He just needs- 

The opening of the cellar door halts his plan. For a moment, he wants to cry in frustration, he was so fucking close! That feeling of despair, however, vanishes and all he feels is anger. Anger at the entire world. Anger at Pearson for coming up with the stupid plan. Anger at Dutch for not listening to him and thinking peace was possible. And anger at Micah because, well, fuck Micah. Anger at Colm and his fucking gang. He is even angry with himself for letting himself get caught. He does his best to hide the file in his hand and pretend he’s still unconscious. 

The door shuts and the top step creaks. Arthur strains his ears, listening for the footsteps. He furrows his brows when he hears nothing. No footsteps or jeers. Not even any breathing, just the sound of his heart in his ears. A moment of silence and he hears a noise he never thought he would hear again. A soft chirp followed by a raspy whisper of his name. 

Arthur opens his eyes and sees nothing. The only light in the room comes from a single candle on the table. He studies the shadows in the corners of the room, hoping in vain to see the familiar silhouette of his friend. But he sees nothing. 

He believes for a moment he’s finally going insane. Maybe he just imagined hearing that wonderful chirp and raspy voice. That just drives his desire to get out of this fucking hell hole. Get out before he truly does go insane. Get out so he can see his friend one more time. Get out. Get- 

“Arthur.”

“Sapphire?”

There’s an odd shimmer in the air and the familiar inhuman figure of Sapphire is revealed. They crouch down so they are face to face with Arthur. The emotion in their eyes is deceptively human, but the cat-like pupils and the dark grey color says otherwise. Their hair, or what Arthur considers to be hair, is pulled back in a ponytail, making the ridges along their upper cheeks more pronounced. Arthur can see their tail waving behind them. The spikes on the end glow a soft blue in the dim light. 

“Arthur. Gonna cut you down. Then we go.” Sapphire stands and pulls a long knife from their hip. In one swift movement, the rope holding Arthur up is cut and Sapphire manages to catch Arthur’s upper body. They manage to gently rest him on the ground. 

Despite how gentle Sapphire is, Arthur still groans in pain. Sapphire answers his groans with nervous chirps. Their hands cup Arthur’s face and push his hair from his face. They growl and mutter something in their language when they see the damage done to Arthur. Their fingers trail the bruises on his face and they examine Arthur’s shoulder. 

“Sapphire, we have to go. Who knows how many O’Driscoll’s are waiting for us outside.” Arthur attempts to sit up, but Sapphire pulls him back down. 

“Hush. We have time. Bad men are dead.” 

“Dead?” 

“Dead.”

“How… how did you find me?”

Sapphire looks guilty and looks away for a moment. “I was exploring. Near the town Val… Val… I forget name. Smells gross.”

“You were near Valentine?”

“Yes. Heard men in green talking about you. I followed them. Killed them. Then save you.”

Arthur tries to be stern. “You shouldn’t have done that. If they caught you-” 

Sapphire touches a finger to Arthur’s lips, silencing him. When they begin to speak, they speak slowly, taking care to pronounce each word correctly. “Arthur Morgan, my dear friend, I am a warrior, future Queen of the Khav’ul clan. A Queen protects those who need to be protected. Save those who need to be saved. A Queen brings down the wrath of the Sced onto their enemies.” 

“Sapphire.” Arthur grasps their hand and gives it a soft squeeze. Sapphire returns it and begins to make a sound similar to a purr. “Thank you.”

Sapphire says nothing, they simply nod their head, a trait they learned from Arthur. The cowboy and alien stay in that position for a few minutes. Arthur's head rests against Sapphire's thighs while their fingers brush through his dirty hair and bloodied beard. Looking up into Sapphires eyes, and hearing their noises, Arthur feels safe. And when their tail rests across Arthur's waist, a warm feeling blooms in his chest. 

When Arthur’s eyes flutter shut, he can almost imagine both of them being back in Sapphire’s cave, specifically the first night he spent with them. Arthur swears he can feel the heat of the fire that was burning, and the feel of their blankets against his skin. Sapphire’s purrs and touch are similar to that night and so is that warm feeling in his chest. 

Sapphire speaks and brings Arthur from his memories. “We can go now. Can you walk?”

Arthur opens his eyes and manages a weak nod. “I think so.” 

Sapphire helps Arthur up the stairs and outside. They make no noise of discomfort when all of Arthur’s weight is against them. They only hold him tight and chirp in a reassuring way. Despite the height difference, Sapphire is solid and strong. And for once, Arthur has to admit that it is reassuring to know that someone can carry his weight. It’s reassuring to know he has someone to rely on. 

When the cool night air hits Arthur in the face, he nearly cries. He thought he would never breath clean air as a free man again. And when he sees his horse waiting for him, with all his weapons in place, Arthur almost laughs. 

Sapphire makes no motion for Arthur to crouch or sneak, they walk him through the empty camp like nothing. It’s only when he spots several large blood stains on the floor that he remembers Sapphire admitting they killed all the O'Driscolls. He wonders how they did it, but he’s almost too afraid to ask. He’s seen the damage their claws and teeth can inflict, even their tail can be deadly. 

“Where are their bodies?” Arthur asked. His voice is low, and he’s looking over his shoulder, expecting to see someone. 

“Some are strung up in tree. Was going to decapitate, but that is Khav’ul tradition. I heard human’s hang fellow human’s in trees. I forget the word for it."

“Lynching.” Arthur wonders where Sapphire heard that word from. How often did they go out exploring? How far have they gone? 

“Yes, that, lyn-ching. I hung some in the trees, but others are around with cut necks. It looks like other humans came by and did it. I have boots, like you, too.” 

Arthur glances down and sees a pair of boots on their feet. He’s never seen shoes on their feet, so they look odd and are no doubt uncomfortable. Sapphire’s feet and legs aren’t human, their legs bend backward and their feet resemble paws. He gives Sapphire a sidelong glance, and they look rather proud of themselves. 

“That’s smart thinking, Sapphire.”

“Thank you. Father taught me that trick.” 

Their talking stops when they reach Arthur’s horse. It takes a while to get Arthur into the saddle, but Sapphire doesn’t give up. Once he’s in the saddle, Sapphire hops on behind him and takes hold of the reins. 

“Sapphire, my horse will take me home. You should head back to your cave,” Arthur said. His entire body weight is against Sapphire, but they don’t seem to mind. One of their arms wraps protectively around his waist, while the other keeps a grip on the reins. 

“Only when I know you’re safe with your family. Then I will go back to my cave.” 

They fall into a moment of silence. The only sounds they can hear is the river next to them and the sound of the horse’s hooves against the road. Arthur looks up to the night sky and smiles at all the stars above them. One of those dots must be Sapphire’s home. 

“Your home, what is it like?” Arthur asked. His voice is soft, barely a whisper. 

"My kind are travelers. No real home. But my clan controlled three planets. The planet I was raised on is similar to this one. Many different biomes. I was raised in an area filled with large trees and massive mountains. Giant beasts that were worthy of hunting. Plants of every color. I left that planet when I proved I was capable warrior and no longer a child.” 

“How did you prove that?” Arthur’s voice is slightly slurred and his eyes are getting heavy. Sapphire’s grip on his waist tightens, their nails dig into his waist, bringing Arthur back from the edge of unconsciousness. 

“There are steps. I hunted a massive beast that lived in the trees. Commanded my own, um, group of warriors. Then I beat my father in combat. Mother was proud. Father was proud.”

Arthur nods his head and does his best to imagine Sapphire’s parents. Are they short like them? Taller? Do they have spines and a tail? “Your mother is a Queen, so your father is King?” 

“Queen is the most appropriate human word for my mother’s title, king is not. We only have one royal who rules our clan. Father is not royal; he is only warrior. Mother is royal and warrior. I am like mother.” 

“Wish I could meet your Queen. She sounds like a hell of a lady,” Arthur slurs. He slumps against Sapphire’s body, and the world begins to go black. The feeling of his horse picking up speed is the last thing Arthur feels before the darkness claims him. 

When Arthur comes to, he's on the outskirts of the camp. He feels familiar clawed hands pull him off the horse. His legs hit the ground and his head is gently rested on the floor. He grunts in pain as an invisible hand touches his face in comfort. He opens his mouth to speak Sapphire's name, but then hurried footsteps approach them. The clawed hand disappears and figures come into his view. 

“Arthur…” Mary-Beth said.

“Arthur?” Karen asked. 

“Arthur?” Dutch asked. 

“I told you it was a setup Dutch,” Arthur groans. 

Sapphire watches from a few feet away as more human’s swarm Arthur. A few of them sit him up and a man helps Arthur stand. His pained yell makes Sapphire want to rush to him, to help him, but they stay put and simply watch. 

Arthur is laid on a cot next to a wagon. Sapphire slinks over to the boxes near the wagon and peaks over the edge. Arthur is laying on his back, his eyes are shut, and a look of pain on his face. An older human woman sits next to him, whispering he’ll be ok. Sapphire prays to their gods that the human woman is right. With a silent sigh, Sapphire gets into a comfortable position, ready to keep watch over Arthur for the rest of the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
